Strange Notations From a Laborious Life

We got smashed at work last night! A heap of mail came in through the street posting boxes and the letter cancelling machine was still running when I left which is unusual as on most days we have shut it down by 8.30pm.
Of course it is not competely unexpected as we are in our busiest time of year but there is usually a build up of mail culminating in a couple of big days but despite volumes being up a little last week the amount of product that hit us last night was suprising. Most years the rush doesn’t start in earnest until about two weeks before Christmas so the public appears to be getting in early this year.
There were a number of people off work last night too which had our perpetually deflated supervisor more stressed out than usual. Couple that with the manager poking around asking him questions and telling him what to do and he was left looking like he had just been told his house had burnt down! He even had a run in with a couple of staff and I saw him gesticulating and turning pale while in conversation with someone who wasn’t quite in agreement with his point of view which would indicate an unusual level of aggression from a fellow who is very calm and collected by nature.
We even had the thrill of a visit from our “phantom” parcel centre manager who for the first time since his appointment 18 months or so ago actually came downstairs and took the time to see how we sort parcels!Wonders will never cease. And how privileged we were to see him too.
It gives me reason to think that the powers that be may be moving on the question of what is to be done with parcels at CMC although December 5 would be a queer time to start making decisions about things like that, but nothing suprises me anymore when talking about Australia Post.
I myself was working on culling the large articles out of the cancelling machine late yesterday evening and got caught between two Vietnamese brothers-in-law who never speak to each other. How awkward do you think that was?! Especially when we are supposed to swap roles from culling to tipping the bags regularly. As it turned out one of them tipped bags for two hours and I stayed the meat in the sandwich which wasn’t very comfortable. Thus is the way of the mail centre with simmering feuds bubbling under waiting to be reignited with just a small spark required. However all was well in this particular case although the two gentleman concerned had to return to the machine and run it together for the last hour which can’t have been agreeable for either of them.
So that was one day down for the week and the countdown to Christmas Day continues and we anxiously watch the clock and wait.
As for myself I have done two days in a row on the bike and despite the usual sore backside which occurs when you haven’t been riding that much and a very light level of fatigue setting in I don’t feel too bad and riding itself wasn’t too tiring after such a long lay off.
Of course it was nothing to write home about. A couple of laps of the lake on Sunday and a lap of the suburbs yesterday but I have learnt over the years that starting off lightly is the best way to go.
In bygone times when I was starting a cycling campaign after an amount of time at leisure I would hit it hard straight off and be riding a couple of hours a day which would only lead to excessive tiredness and a much more gruelling and painful reintroduction to fitness.
So a bit of roll around the suburbs will be the order of the day for a while. I go to New Zealand at the end of the year, December 31 in fact which will interrupt my cycling in anycase so I will start doing a more serious program whaen I get back.
It’s hard to put into words the simple pleasures that some gentle cycling can bring to oneself and I have been reminded of it over the last two days.
Eventually though the glass, pedestrians, dogs etc, on the bike paths and traffic on the roads will start to aggravate me and riding won’t be so enjoyable but I will try to keep my heavenly feelings about cycling while I can.
So now I will make my move, don my gear and get away on the bike for an hour or so. Hope everyone who reads this today can scrape a bit of fun out of the day too. Take care.